Weekly Roundup: Danimer Scientific goes public on NYSE, Aldi scraps single-use fruit & veg bags
09 Oct 2020 --- In packaging news this week, leading bioplastic producer Danimer Scientific went public on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), combining with Live Oak Acquisition special purpose acquisition company. Aldi supermarket scrapped single-use bags for loose fruit and veg across all UK stores, encouraging shoppers to bring their own containers or buy reusable drawstring produce bags. Crown Van Gelder introduced paper made from Dutch sugar beets, hitting the market in January 2021.
In brief: Business development
Danimer Scientific bioplastics company and Live Oak Acquisition publicly-traded special purpose acquisition company signed a definitive agreement for a business combination that would result in Danimer Scientific becoming a public company. Upon closing the transaction, the combined company will be renamed Danimer Scientific and is expected to remain listed on the NYSE under a new ticker symbol. Danimer will continue to be led by Stephen E. Croskrey, CEO.
Aldi’s reusable drawstring bags made from recycled bottles.
Sealed Air penned a three-year partnership with Gastromotiva, a non-profit organization based in Brazil that uses the power of gastronomy, food, and education to address social inequality, improve nutrition education, fight hunger, eliminate food waste, and create local jobs. Sealed Air’s investment will empower Gastromotiva to achieve food security goals.
Südpack opened a fully automated state-of-the-art logistic center in Erolzheim, Germany, significantly enhancing its production capacity. The buildings provide a usable area of 18,800 m², and the total investment amounted to roughly €40 million. Approximately 100 employees will work at the new site. All construction work, structures and systems for the technically demanding machinery meet the latest standards and comply with demanding hygiene requirements.
Syntegon Technology’s Kliklok ACE topload carton former.
Coveris launched a comprehensive modernization and expansion program at its German medical sites in Halle and Rohrdorf. While the location in Halle is being modernized with the finalization planned in Q1 2021, the Rohrdorf plant did not allow the expansions needed to offer quality benchmarks. Coveris now announces the relocation of its medical business in Rohrdorf to a new site nearby that meets or exceeds all industry requirements.
Rockwell Automation and Microsoft announced a five-year partnership expansion to develop integrated, market-ready solutions that help industrial customers improve digital agility through cloud technology. By combining each company’s expertise in the industrial and IT markets, respectively, teams can work together more seamlessly, enabling industrial organizations to save on infrastructure costs, speed time-to-value, and increase productivity.
In brief: Sustainability action
Aldi supermarket scrapped single-use bags for loose fruit and veg across all UK stores, encouraging shoppers to bring their own containers or buy reusable drawstring produce bags made from recycled bottles at the cost of 25p (US$0.32) each. The single-use bags will be removed from nearly 900 stores by the end of the year. The move follows a successful trial in 100 stores across the Midlands earlier this year.
Olympia Dairy is the first Belgian dairy company to adopt SIG’s packaging and filling technology.
In brief: New products and designs
Crown Van Gelder introduced paper made from Dutch sugar beets, hitting the market in January 2021. The development makes the Dutch paper manufacturer the first in the world to produce sugar beet paper at an industrial level. The new product line called “Crown Native” uses less wood fibers to achieve a 16 percent environmental impact reduction compared to traditional paper.
Berlin Packaging and Studio One Eleven designers created a packaging redesign for US-based Juiced! cold-pressed juicery. Studio One Eleven worked with Juiced! to create an iconic custom bottle design with a large billboard space to showcase the original work of acclaimed local Milwaukee artist, Reginald Baylor. Nearly two years later, the juxtaposition of the vibrant, art-filled “J” against the clean white canvas evokes “instant recognition by shoppers across the country.”
Syntegon Technology celebrated the North American launch of its new Kliklok ACE (Advanced Carton Erector) topload carton former at PACK EXPO Connects 2020. Based on customer requirements, the Kliklok ACE was developed to focus on ergonomic design, sustainability, and increased efficiency. The newly integrated Flex Feeder ensures reliable and safe carton control through the entire process.
Great Lakes Veneer’s Naturís natural veneer wood paper prime for labels.
Great Lakes Veneer launched Naturís, a natural veneer wood paper prime for product labels that gives designers and marketers a new option for elevating their retail brands. Shoppers can touch and experience the feel of genuine wood grain on product labels and packages. The Naturís wood paper surface is smooth enough for printing with a crisp visual impact. Naturís is sold as pressure-sensitive labels in rolls and sheets. The material is unique in that it is designed to be printed using a range of techniques with foil, embossed or with heavy coverage, with and without topcoats.
Olympia Dairy became the first Belgian dairy company to choose packaging and filling technology from SIG. SIG’s filling technology provides high flexibility without compromising on speed and output. The number of packaging options on one SIG CFA 812 filling machine for ‘square base format’ aseptic cartons is a multiple of any other such filling machine on the market. One single CFA 812 filling machine provides customers with more than 70 different packaging options – combining different packaging formats, volume sizes, openings and packaging materials – all with an output of 12,000 packs per hour.
By Joshua Poole
